Department for Transport

Railways: Electrification

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their response to the conclusion of the report of the National Audit OfficeInvestigation into the Department for Transport’s decision to cancel three rail electrification projects,published on 29 March, that the main reason for the cancellation of rail electrification projects was affordability.

baroness sugg: The decisions we have made about electrification mean passengers will benefit from faster journeys, more seats and better quality trains sooner, and with less disruption, compared with putting up intrusive wires and masts. The Government has been open about the challenges in the current rail investment period on affordability and deliverability. Additionally, we have been clear that all projects are subject to ongoing assessment, to ensure they deliver the best results for rail users and taxpayers.

Diesel Vehicles: Exhaust Emissions

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they intend to publish their analysis of responses to proposals for a diesel scrappage scheme, following the consultation period which ended in November 2017.

baroness sugg: On 23 March 2018, the Government published the summary response to the consultation to reduce the impact of local air quality plans on individuals and businesses. This response covers a range of potential measures including vehicle scrappage. It also set out more information on the Clean Air Fund, a £220m fund to support individuals and businesses affected by local plans to improve air quality.

South Wales Railway Line

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times in the last three months the new GWR Intercity Express Trains which operate on the Paddington to Cardiffand Swansea route (1) have been cancelled because of technical problems, and(2) have run in reduced five carriage formation; and what are each of those figures as a percentage of the total number of trains due to run.

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many times in the last three months have GWR services between Paddingtonto Cardiffand Swansea been cancelled for lack of train crew; and what are each of those figures as a percentage of the total number of trains due to run.

baroness sugg: This information is not held by the Department. General information on performance by all train operators is published on a four-weekly basis by Network Rail on their website. Additionally, GWR publish performance statistics online with a route-by-route analysis.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Innovation: Israel

baroness deech: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of benefits to the UK from Israeli advances in medicine, science and technology.

lord henley: BIRAX (the Britain Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership) is a £10 million initiative of the UK Government and the British Council in Israel funding cutting-edge research into regenerative medicine. Over £8 million has been committed to 19 projects in the UK and Israel funding research in Oxford, Cambridge, Nottingham and Edinburgh universities. The programme provides an invaluable framework for enabling knowledge exchange between UK and Israeli researchers.Researchers presented BIRAX supported research at 71 conferences and workshops to over 21,000 scientists and researchers, postdoctoral students and students across 22 countries including the US, India, China, France, Japan, Germany, Sweden as well as to audiences in the UK and Israel. To date, 27 scientific articles have been published as a result of BIRAX projects and BIRAX funded research has been cited 635 times. Three of the seven BIRAX projects which concluded in 2016, have registered patents and two project teams have been approached by biotech companies expressing an interest in licensing their intellectual property. Three BIRAX projects have secured further funding for research initiated under the BIRAX initiative. In BIRAX’s first five years, three scientific conferences and two workshops have been held for BIRAX grantees, reaching over 1,000 participants from over 110 British and Israeli universities. This year a major new initiative, BIRAX Ageing, launched which will be the main academic research theme for the next 4-5 years.

Insolvency

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their plans to improve the availability of working capital to businesses in financial distress; and what assessment have they made of debtor-in-possession financing models such as those available in the United States.

lord henley: The directors and managers of businesses are responsible for ensuring the availability of working capital, including at times of financial distress. A prudent board of directors will ensure that the balance sheet is strong enough to withstand a deterioration in trading conditions. Other options may include reducing or suspending the payment of dividends, raising fresh equity, postponing planned capital expenditure and negotiating an increase in borrowing facilities. The Government has published its review of the Corporate Insolvency Framework consultation, which contained a package of proposals to improve the rescue opportunities for financially-distressed companies drawing on some of the features of the United States’ debtor-in-possession regime. The Government will set out the way forward for the proposals in its response later this year.

Financial Reporting Council: Public Appointments

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the membership of the Board of the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) for each of the years 2004 to 2018; and, in respect of each member, (1) what was their profession, (2) what other positions they held during their period of membership, including acting as Chief Executive Officer or board member of a listed business, and (3) whether they previously or subsequently sat on any other body or panel associated with the FRC, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, or similar body.

lord henley: Information on membership of the Board of the Financial Reporting Council for each of the years 2004 to 2018 is published in FRC Annual Reports for those years and is summarised in the attached table.From 2015/16 onwards, where board members worked in other capacities during the time they were members of the FRC board, this was recorded in the FRC’s annual reports.The annual reports are published and available on the FRC’s website: https://www.frc.org.uk/In accordance with the FRC’s Code of Conduct for Board and Committee members, a publicly available register of interests for current members of the FRC Board and Committees can be accessed on the FRC's website.Information is not available on the professions of board members, or on the other appointments taken up by board members subsequent to, or previous to, their appointment to the FRC board. As a result this information could only be compiled at disproportionate cost. 



FRC Board membership summary 2004-18
(Word Document, 17.57 KB)

Financial Reporting Council: Legal Costs

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government what legal costs were incurred by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) in each year from 2010–17; and which law firm was engaged by the FRC in each case.

lord henley: In each year between 2010 and 2017, the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) spent the following on legal and other professional fees: 2010/2011400,0002011/20121,002,0002012/2013450,0002013/2014467,0002014/2015666,0002015/20161,235,0002016/2017807,000 The FRC has used a number of law firms during this period, including Herbert Smith, DAC Beachcroft, Reed Smith, and Fieldfisher LLP which has been its preferred legal provider since 2006.Information as to the professional service and the provider in each case is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Radioactive Waste

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to ensure that (1) National Parks, (2) Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and (3) other such protected areas, are excluded as potential sites for the disposal of nuclear waste; and if so, how.

lord henley: A Geological Disposal Facility will provide a permanent and safe solution for disposing of the UK’s inventory of higher activity radioactive waste. The Government recently consulted on a draft National Policy Statement (NPS) for geological disposal infrastructure. This draft National Policy Statement follows the approach of the National Planning Policy Framework and all other non-site specific National Policy Statements, by not excluding all development in designated areas such as National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and other such protected areas. Rather, the proposed draft NPS sets out that development for a Geological Disposal Facility should only be consented in nationally designated areas in exceptional circumstances and where it would be in the public interest to do so. Even if such development were consented, the developer would be required to take a number of measures to protect and where possible improve the environment. Existing UK legislation already provides a high degree of protection for National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other such protected areas; the proposed draft National Policy Statement reinforces this. The Government is currently analysing responses to the consultation on the draft National Policy Statement and will publish a response in due course.

Radioactive Waste

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to ensure that all local authorities that would be adversely affected by the construction or operation of a nuclear waste facility, including a facility for radioactive gases, are fully involved in any consent process; and whether local authorities will have powers of veto over such construction in their areas.

lord henley: The Government recently consulted on draft policy proposals for delivering a consent-based process for identifying a suitable location to site a Geological Disposal Facility, which will provide a permanent and safe solution for the disposal of higher activity radioactive waste. The proposals recognise that the relevant principal local authorities, including county councils, unitary authorities and district councils will have an integral role in this process through their role on ‘Community Partnerships’ which will be developed in all areas that wish to put themselves forward as potential sites for developing such a facility. The partnerships are proposed to be used to share information, raise awareness and make decisions on behalf of their local area. The proposals set out that as members of the Community Partnership, relevant principal local authorities will have the ability to invoke a right of withdrawal from the engagement process. Also, before making any final decision on where to locate the facility, it is proposed that there will need to have been a test of public support that demonstrates community support for the development at a particular site. A test of public support cannot be designed or enacted without the support of the relevant principal local authorities. The Government is currently analysing responses to the consultation on the draft proposals for delivering a consent based process and will publish a response in due course.

Radioactive Waste

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the soundness of the fabric and installations currently containing nuclear waste in (1) the short-term, (2) the mid-term, and (3) the long-term; and, in the light of that assessment, what assessment they have made of the urgency of constructing new facilities.

lord henley: The safety and integrity of installations currently containing nuclear waste are kept under constant review by the Office for Nuclear Regulation, as the regulatory body responsible for the safety of nuclear installations in the UK. In 2009, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority carried out a national review of nuclear waste stores it is responsible for on behalf of the Government. This work has informed the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s current strategy for the safe and secure management of radioactive waste installations, which was last updated in 2016 and includes an ongoing programme of radioactive waste retrieval, treatment and storage. Modern radioactive waste stores are designed to store waste for at least 100 years and operated to provide an environment necessary to ensure the longevity of the waste packaging. Packages for radioactive waste in the UK need to meet the appropriate regulatory standards and expectations to ensure their suitability for long-term storage and compatibility with the requirements for permanent disposal in the future.

Radioactive Waste: Cumbria

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are their plans for (1) Ennerdale, and (2) the Ennerdale granite, in their future nuclear waste disposal policy.

lord henley: The Government has no plans for Ennerdale and the Ennerdale granite in its proposals for developing a Geological Disposal Facility to provide a permanent and safe solution for the disposal of higher activity radioactive waste. The Government recently consulted on draft policy proposals for delivering a consent-based process for identifying a suitable location to site such a facility. The Government is currently analysing responses to the consultation and will publish a response in due course. No sites have been identified and it is proposed that any interested communities will be able to begin formal discussions with the Government following the publication of the response to the consultation and the launch of the siting process.

Company Accounts: Audit

baroness bowles of berkhamsted: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has published guidance on the auditor duty under section 498(1)(a) to form an opinion whether companies have kept adequate accounting records at all times; and if not, why not; whether the FRC’s review of the audit of HBOS plc took account of that duty; and if not, why not.

lord henley: The Financial Reporting Council (FRC) issues comprehensive auditing standards based on international standards, amended to reflect UK law and regulation. These include requirements on the auditor’s obligation to consider and report where a company has not maintained adequate accounting records, as required by Section 498(1)(a) of the Companies Act 2006. The requirements are further supported by guidance on the application of the standards, which is provided alongside them. The FRC carried out its investigation into the 2007 audit of HBOS plc under its Accountancy Scheme. This allows the FRC to open an investigation only where there are reasonable grounds to suspect that there has been misconduct, and to determine the scope of the investigation. In relation to the audit of HBOS the scope did not include compliance by the auditor with their duty under section 498(1)(a) of the Act. This was because FRC did not consider that there were reasonable grounds to suspect misconduct by the auditor in relation to this. The FRC’s November 2017 report on its enquiries into the 2007 and 2008 audits of HBOS plc and its investigation of the 2007 audit sets out the scope of FRC’s enquiries and investigation. The report is available on the FRC's website.

Renewable Energy

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is (1) the annual subsidy paid to Drax power station for burning wood pellets and (2) the estimated total cost of funding the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon project; and what measurement has been made of the polluting effects of each of those schemes.

lord henley: In 2016/2017 Drax generated 11.3 TWh of electricity under the Renewables Obligation for which they received around £470m[1]. Drax also receives payments under the Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme from the Low Carbon Contracts Company. Based on available information, we estimate that Drax received around £120 million in 2016/17 (in 2011/12 prices) in CfD payments. Whilst Drax co-fires biomass and coal, it only receives support for the proportion of electricity generated from biomass, which includes wood pellets.The developer estimates the capital cost of funding the proposed Swansea Tidal Lagoon project to be approximately £1.3bn. Contracts for Difference are awarded for the purpose of encouraging low carbon electricity generation. All projects receiving support under the Renewables Obligation and the Contracts for Difference financial incentives mechanisms must comply with relevant greenhouse gas measures and standards on sustainable sourcing of feedstock. All electricity generators must comply with relevant environmental regulations. [1] In 2011/12 prices and based on Drax receiving 10,986,268 Renewables Obligation Certificates ( ROCs) with the notional value of each ROC estimated to be £43.10. [The RO does not pay a direct subsidy. Instead, it places an obligation on UK electricity suppliers to present to Ofgem a certain number of ROCs in respect of each MWh of electricity supplied each year, or to make a payment per ROC (the “buy-out price”) into a buy-out fund. Ofgem issue ROCs to generators in relation to the amount of renewable electricity that they generate and the relevant support rate. Generators sell their ROCs to suppliers or traders, with or without the electricity generated, as tradable commodities. After Ofgem’s administration costs have been deducted, the money from the buy-out fund is recycled on a pro-rata basis to suppliers who presented ROCs. The price of a ROC is not fixed and is a matter for negotiation between the generator and supplier/trader. However, the notional value of a ROC is considered to be the buy-out price, plus the value of the recycled buy-out fund payments].

Radioactive Waste

lord judd: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the extent to whichexisting nuclear waste facilities are foolproof against (1) all possible types ofsecurity threatfrom land, sea and air, and(2) the consequences of climate change.

lord henley: All nuclear sites, including nuclear waste facilities, are required to develop and maintain a site security plan in order to be licensed to operate by the Office for Nuclear Regulation. These site security plans are required to demonstrate compliance against the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003, which includes having to plan for managing all types of potential security threats. Implementation of the plans is also overseen by the Office for Nuclear Regulation. Flooding and climate change considerations are a major element of the Safety Case that must be developed and maintained for every nuclear facility as part of the licence conditions against which sites must operate. These Safety Cases are also assessed and approved by the by the Office for Nuclear Regulation. In addition, operators of nuclear waste disposal facilities must produce Environmental Safety Cases which demonstrate the safety of disposals of nuclear waste, now and in the future, managed within assessed risk scenarios consistent with regulatory guidance. These risk scenarios include the potential consequences of climate change. It is the Environmental Safety Case that determines if disposals may continue or not and what limitations or conditions may be required to minimise any impact to the environment.

Directors: Pay

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the effectiveness of corporate governance regulations covering (1) annual bonus awards, (2) remuneration committees, and (3) companies employed to advise remuneration committees.

lord henley: UK quoted companies are currently subject to a range of regulatory requirements and UK Corporate Governance Code principles and provisions covering executive remuneration, including in respect of annual bonus awards, the role of remuneration committees, and remuneration advisers. Under the Large and Medium-Sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, as amended in 2013, annual bonus awards may only be paid within the terms of a remuneration policy approved by shareholders through a binding vote. The amount of any annual bonus, and details of the extent to which corresponding performance targets have been met, must be disclosed in the annual directors’ remuneration report which is subject to an advisory shareholder vote. The Regulations also require that the annual directors’ remuneration report provide details of any person or persons who have advised the remuneration committee, including the nature of that advice and the fees paid for it, and whether and how the remuneration committee has satisfied itself that the advice received was objective and independent. The UK Corporate Governance Code has provisions on remuneration committees’ responsibilities and composition, including having at least three, or in the case of smaller companies two, independent non-executive directors and to disclose the committee’s terms of reference and the authority delegated to it by the board. The Government’s response to the Corporate Governance Reform green paper consultation, published on 29 August 2017, announced a number of measures to enhance transparency and accountability in executive pay. These include: a new statutory requirement on UK quoted companies to disclose and explain annually the ratio of their CEO’s total annual remuneration, including any annual bonus, to the average of their UK employees’ remuneration; and new responsibilities for remuneration committees in a revised UK Corporate Governance Code (subject to consultation), to engage with the workforce and to explain how executive pay aligns with wider pay and performance. These new measures will further strengthen the UK’s executive remuneration framework, in particular by giving shareholders and other interested parties more information with which to assess whether executive pay, including annual bonuses, is justified by performance and consistent with pay and reward in the rest of the company.

Carillion: Pay

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on corporate governance of annual bonus award arrangements such as Carillion’s, which in 2016 gave greater weighting to the Chief Financial Officer’s performance for technology (8per cent) and risk management (8per cent) than for net debt (6per cent) and pre-tax profit (6per cent).

lord henley: Under the Large and Medium-Sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, as amended in 2013, annual bonus awards may only be paid within the terms of a remuneration policy approved by shareholders through a binding vote. The remuneration policy must state how any annual bonus targets support the short and long-term strategic objectives of the company. Additionally, the UK Corporate Governance Code principles state that directors’ remuneration should be designed to promote the long-term success of the company. Within this regulatory framework, it is a company’s shareholders who are responsible for scrutinising and, where necessary, challenging individual bonus and other remuneration arrangements for its directors, including the weighting of different performance measures.The Government’s current Insolvency and Corporate Governance consultation launched on 20 March 2018 has invited views, among other things, on what more could be done to promote more engaged shareholder stewardship of companies which could include more active monitoring of risk and ensuring that executive remuneration policies align the interests of directors with the interests of the company.

High Rise Flats: Insulation

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the Grenfell Tower Fire, what assessment they have made of the potential contingent liabilities held by those energy companies, and their subsidiaries, who installed external wall insulation on social high rise tower blocks under the Energy Efficiency Commitment, the Community Energy Saving Programme, the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target, Energy Efficiency Standards of Performance, and the Energy Company Obligation.

lord henley: BEIS analysis shows that around 272,300 properties have received external wall insulation under Government schemes since 2008 and that 970 were high rise buildings. Energy efficiency schemes prior to ECO, including ECO1 (January 2013 – March 2015) are closed and final determination of carbon targets and bill saving targets has concluded. Any solid wall insulation delivered under ECO since April 2015 that does not meet the relevant compliance requirements, including compliance with building regulations and fire safety, would not count towards the supplier obligation. BEIS is working with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to understand the number of tower blocks that may have been delivered under ECO since 2015. If appropriate, Government will seek remedial action by the supplier for measures delivered since April 2015. Remedial action required may vary depending on the materials used for each tower block.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Armed Conflict: Sexual Offences

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government what contribution the UK made in the last financial year to (1) UN programming on combating sexual and gender based violence, (2) the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict, and (3) the United Nations Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict network; and what assessment they have made of report by theUN Secretary General on conflict-related sexual violence published on 23 March and of his recommendation to member states to ensure sustainable and regular funding for these efforts.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: In financial year 2017-18, the UK contributed £1.26 million to UN programming to combat conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). This included £480,000 to the Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict and £600,000 to UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as part of ongoing multi-year commitments. In addition, the UK provided £528,000 to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) to support a range of activities and military training on gender issues, including CRSV. The UN Action against Sexual Violence in Conflict network (UN Action) has not been one of the recipients of UK funding on PSVI for financial years 2017/18 and 18/19. We continue to review our choice of implementers and have regular discussions with UN Action. The UK welcomes the UN Secretary-General’s comprehensive report on CRSV and endorses his recommendation on sustainable and regular funding to tackle CRSV. The UK is already working with the UN to ensure many of the issues covered in his report feature prominently at the UK-hosted international meeting in 2019.

Armed Conflict: White Phosphorus

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the state use of white phosphorus in conflict situations so as to cause humanitarian suffering constitutes an illegal chemical weapons attack requiring international action.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The use of white phosphorus is not banned under international law, including the Chemical Weapons Convention. As with any other weapon, the use of white phosphorus during an armed conflict must comply with international humanitarian law. The UK condemns the use of white phosphorus in breach of international humanitarian law.

Department of Health and Social Care

Public Health: Finance

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the (1) annual budget, and (2) spend, for section 7A public health monies for the years (a) 2014–15, (b) 2015–16, and (c) 2016–17; and what is the budget and projected spend for 2017–18.

lord o'shaughnessy: The National Health Service public health functions agreement sets out the arrangements under which responsibility for certain elements of the Secretary of State’s public health functions is delegated to NHS England. The agreement is made under section 7A of the National Health Service Act 2006. Ring-fenced funding and expenditure pursuant to the agreement for the period requested are shown in the following table. NHS public health functions agreement funding and expenditure Financial year2014/152015/1612016/172017/18Ring-fenced funding (£ m)1,9291,3761,0691,152Expenditure outturn (£ m)21,9981,4611,157(Not yet available) These figures do not include central procurement of adult and childhood vaccines which are administered within programmes under the NHS public health functions agreement as disaggregated figures are not available. Notes: 1Figures from 2015/16 are not comparable with previous years as a result of: - the transfer of responsibility for commissioning 0-5 year old children’s services to local government from 1 October 2015; and- inclusion in 2014/15 of £169 million of public health-related Quality Outcomes Framework payments, which are accounted for separately from 2015/16. 2Includes other expenditure reported by NHS England on section 7A services in addition to the ring-fenced sum.

Dental Services

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the total value of undelivered contracted units of dental activity in NHS dental contracts in England in each year from 2012–13 to 2016–17.

lord o'shaughnessy: This information is not held centrally.

Medical Records: Data Protection

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government from when a national data opt-out expressed directly to NHS Digital will apply to data shared for secondary uses by a GP practice and be visible to GP practices.

lord o'shaughnessy: In line with the implementation plan set out in the Government response to the National Data Guardian’s Review of Data Security, Consent and Opt-Outs, Your Data: Better Security, Better Choice, Better Care, general practitioner (GP) practices will be required to apply national data opt-outs, expressed to NHS Digital, by March 2020. By this date national data opt-outs must be applied by all health and care organisations in line with the national data opt-out policy when confidential patient information is being shared for purposes beyond the patient’s individual care (also referred to as secondary uses). NHS Digital has commissioned the GP system suppliers to develop solutions for their GP systems which will enable GP practices to uphold national data opt-outs. We will publish further details as these solutions become available.

Medical Records: Data Protection

lord hunt of kings heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government which stakeholders were asked, prior to 16 April, to comment on the content of a draft of any letter to patients for the national data opt-out programme.

lord o'shaughnessy: Prior to 16 April 2018, the National Data Opt-out Programme has asked a number of stakeholders to comment on a draft letter that in its final form will be issued to all patients that have a type 2 opt-out recorded on their electronic patient record held at their general practitioner practice. The stakeholders asked to comment were: - The National Data Guardian Panel;- The Information Commissioner’s Office;- British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research UK Patient Panel;- Plain English Campaign;- The National Data Opt-out Advisory Group; and- The National Data Opt-out Editorial Board. The letter was shared with other organisations after 16 April 2018.

Drugs: Safety

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK not remaining part of the European Medicines Agency after Brexit on (1) the safety of new drugs, and (2) the safety of drugs targeted at rare diseases.

lord o'shaughnessy: From 30 March 2019, the United Kingdom will no longer be a member of the European Union. However, under the terms of the implementation period agreement, regulatory standards and market access for all medicines will continue on current terms.In regard to the future relationship, the Prime Minister's Mansion House speech outlined that we will also explore the terms on which the UK could remain part of the European Medicines Agency. While it would not be appropriate to pre-judge the outcome of the negotiations, we will discuss with the EU and Member States how best to continue cooperation in medicines regulation.Our aim is to ensure that, whatever outcome is achieved, patients in the UK and across the EU continue to be able to access the best and most innovative medicines including those medicines targeted at rare diseases, and be assured that their safety is protected through the strongest regulatory framework and sharing of data.

Hepatitis

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress the Operational Delivery Networks have made against the Hepatitis C 2020 Impact Targets set out in the World Health Organisation’s Global health sector strategy on viral hepatitis 2016–21 and Appendix 1 of the Hepatitis C in England 2017 report.

lord o'shaughnessy: The 2020 impact targets set out in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Health Sector Strategy on viral hepatitis 2016- 1 and Appendix 1 of the Hepatitis C in England 2017 report focus on reducing the number of new cases of chronic viral hepatitis C infection and mortality rates. A summary of progress towards achieving the WHO elimination goal was published in 2017 in Public Health England’s (PHE) report Hepatitis C in the UK 2017 report: Working to eliminate hepatitis C as a major public health threat. Further progress for England only was recently published by PHE in Hepatitis C in England 2018 report: Working to eliminate heptatis C as a major public health threat. Copies of these reports are attached. These progress reports have shown that the United Kingdom is on target to meet the WHO interim goal of reducing hepatitis C mortality by 10% by 2020. Better access to improved treatment and prioritising patients with highest unmet clinical need has led to the first fall in deaths from severe hepatitis C related liver disease in a decade. Assessing the impact Operational Delivery Networks directly have on the incidence of infection is a challenge as this is difficult to measure. Most proxy indicators of incidence suggest that that numbers of new hepatitis C cases have remained relatively stable over recent years.Successful delivery of treatments, alongside the contributions of other public health services such as needle exchange and opioid substitution services, will have an effect on incidence. Ongoing monitoring of trends of identification of new cases, and of overall annual prevalence, will continue to be important.  



Hepatitis C in the UK 2017 Report
(PDF Document, 2 MB)




Hepatitis C in England 2018 Report
(PDF Document, 2.33 MB)

Dental Services: Children

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many children who have had a general anaesthetic for dental extraction had been (1) registered with, and (2) treated by, a dentist in the previous two years.

lord o'shaughnessy: No data is held centrally on the number of children who have had a general anaesthetic administered for dental extractions that had been registered with and treated by a dentist in the previous two years.

Department for Education

Children's Centres

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they plan to complete the review of the Children’s Centre Programme.

lord agnew of oulton: Our priority on improving outcomes at age five for our most disadvantaged children is set out in our social mobility action plan, ‘Unlocking Talent, Fulfilling Potential’. To do this we want to see local areas forming strong, deep partnerships across different agencies, and commissioning services that will have the biggest impact on closing the development gap. The social mobility action plan sets a clear direction for all those who have a part to play, including those responsible for children’s centres services. Our focus now is on delivering this, including through £10 million investment to build the evidence base for what works, and the £8.5 million Early Years Social Mobility Peer Review Programme, working with the Local Government Association. Through peer reviews and additional support, the programme will spread practice and help councils looking to close the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers. These programmes will inform the next steps in our strategy to close the development gap, including considering any future consultation on the role of children’s centres.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Local Government Finance

baroness eaton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to ensure full transparency of local authority funding allocations so that councils can see why their funding allocations are what they are, as they seek to set new funding baselines as part of the local authority Fair Funding Review.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Government is conducting a review of the relative needs and resources of local authorities in England, with a view to setting fresh baseline funding levels in 2020-21. In line with the principles set out in the consultation paper published in December 2017, we are committed to implementing an approach that is as simple and transparent as possible, while recognising this should not be at the expense of accuracy and fairness. We are working closely with local government representatives to consider the factors which drive local authorities’ spending and the resources available to them to fund local services, and how we should account for these in a way that draws a more transparent and understandable link between local circumstances and resource allocations.

Social Services: Finance

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to ensure that work to be progressed under the Social Care Green Paper, and parallel work on working age adults, feeds into the Fair Funding Review of councils’ relative needs and plans for 75per cent business rates retention.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: In developing the Social Care Green Paper, the Government is taking the time needed to debate the many complex issues and listen to the perspectives of experts and care users, in order to build consensus around reforms which can succeed. The Green Paper will inevitably cover a range of issues that are common to all adults with care and support needs. We are also committed to making sure that any issues relating to social care that are only relevant for adults of working age are identified.MHCLG Ministers and officials have close working relationships with DHSC Ministers and officials leading on the Green Paper, and both departments are jointly leading our work on working-age care. The emerging impacts of both areas of work will be considered when taking forward the review of local authorities’ relative needs and resources and increased business rates retention.

Ministry of Defence

Chemical Weapons: Salisbury

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government which military units are engaged in the clean up operations in Salisbury; and how long they are expected to be so engaged.

earl howe: Military personnel are providing support as part of the clean up operations in Salisbury. This support is made up of specialists from the Army, RAF and joint organisations, who will be working with experts from the world-leading Dstl. Specifically, the support includes elements from:- Falcon Squadron, Royal Tank Regiment- Royal Engineer Troop- Supporting functions such as a Transport Section from Royal Logistics Corps and Signals detachment- 20 Force Protection Wing, RAF Regiment- Instructors from the Defence Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear CentreMeticulous effort is required and it is expected that it will be a number of months before all sites are fully reopened.

Tornado Aircraft

lord campbell of pittenweem: To ask Her Majesty's Government whenthey intend to withdraw the Tornado GR 4 aircraft from service.

earl howe: I refer the Noble Lord to the answer my hon. Friend, the Minster for Defence Procurement (Guto Bebb) gave in the House of Commons, to the hon. Member for Llanelli (Nia Griffith) on 23 April 2018 to Question 136226.



Tornado Aircraft
(Word Document, 25.32 KB)

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

lord storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the UK ship building industry has the opportunity to tender successfully for the new Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels.

earl howe: I refer the noble Lord to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Defence Procurement (Guto Bebb), in the House of Commons on 24 April 2018 to Question 136757 to the hon. Member for Plymouth, Sutton and Devonport (Luke Pollard).



Royal Fleet Auxiliary
(Word Document, 25.18 KB)

Syria: Military Intervention

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the air strikes against Syria on 14 April, what objectives they hope to achieve in that country; and how they propose to achieve them.

earl howe: The aim of the targeted airstrikes conducted by the UK on 14 April 2018 was to alleviate human suffering by degrading the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capability and deterring the future use of chemical weapons. The UK continues to participate in the Global Coalition with the aim of defeating the scourge of Daesh. We want to see a political settlement that ends the war and suffering, and provides stability for all Syrians and the wider region. Syria's future must be for Syrians to decide. The UK is the third largest bilateral humanitarian donor to the Syria crisis and has committed £2.71 billion to date.

Home Office

Undocumented Migrants

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what internal guidance, if any, was issued by Departments to give effect to the policy of creating a hostile environment for illegal migrants in the United Kingdom; and what evidence formed the basis ofthat policy.

baroness williams of trafford: The term ‘hostile environment was first coined by Alan Johnson when he was Home Secretary. The current Home Secretary has made it clear that he will no longer be using this term.The Compliant Environment is not a new concept; successive Governments have brought forward policies to prevent the misuse of public services and benefits.In developing Compliant Environment measures, we have worked in collaboration with other government departments and delivery partners. Guidance underpinning these policies has been issued, including for employers and landlords, and published on https://www.gov.uk/We conduct impact assessments to fully consider policy objectives, intended effects and the Government’s intervention reasoning. Impact assessments were published for both the 2014 and 2016 Immigration Acts. They can be found at: the following links and attached for reference:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/482041/2015-11-30_revised_overarching_IA_-_Lords.pdfhttps://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/250069/Overarching_Impact_Assessment_final.PDF



Revised Overarching IA 
(PDF Document, 349.4 KB)




Overarching Impact Assessment 
(PDF Document, 343.76 KB)

Northern Ireland Office

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what funds allocated to the Northern Ireland Executive for specific purposes, outwith the Block Grant, remained unspent at the end of the financial year 2017–18.

lord duncan of springbank: Provisional Outturn data that will determine the first assessment regarding actual spend of Northern Ireland departments in 2017-18 is still being collated and analysed.

Northern Ireland Government

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Duncan of Springbank on 16 April, whether they will now answer the question asked, namely whether in response to the representations made to them, they, or somebody acting on their behalf, has given a written or verbal undertaking to Sinn Fein not to include a statute of limitations in the forthcoming consultation into legacy issues in Northern Ireland.

lord duncan of springbank: Her Majesty’s Government has discussed the forthcoming legacy consultation with interested stakeholders, including the political parties in Northern Ireland, during the recent political talks process to restore the Executive.The Government wishes to consult on implementation of the legacy institutions soon. The content and detail of the consultation will be available upon publication.

Northern Ireland Office: Databases

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of theNorthern Ireland Office's data is hosted (1) in the UK, and (2) overseas.

lord duncan of springbank: All of the data for the Northern Ireland Office is held in the UK, therefore, the percentage would be (1) 100% (2) 0%.

Treasury

Claims Management Services: Regulation

lord hodgson of astley abbotts: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to issue guidance to the Financial Conduct Authority when it takes over responsibility for the regulation of claims management companies from the Ministry of Justice.

lord bates: The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is an independent non-governmental body responsible for regulating and supervising the financial services industry. Although the Treasury is responsible for setting the legal framework under which the FCA regulates, the Treasury has no general power of direction over the FCA. As an independent body, it will be up to the FCA to set specific rules for claims management companies, whilst taking into account its statutory objectives: to ensure an appropriate degree of protection for consumers; protect and enhance the integrity of the UK financial system; and to promote effective competition in the interests of consumers.

Tourism: VAT

lord foster of bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the financial analysis by the Campaign to Cut Tourism VAT which, using HM Treasury’s model, shows that following a reduction of VAT on accommodation and attractions from 20 per cent to 5 per cent a first-year loss of £461 million would be eliminated by year two, and over ten years £4.6 billion would have been produced for the Exchequer.

lord bates: We are looking again at this issue, and at Spring Statement the government launched a call for evidence on the impact of VAT and Air Passenger Duty on tourism in Northern Ireland.

Treasury: Databases

lord harris of haringey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what percentage of HM Treasury's data is hosted (1) in the UK, and (2) overseas.

lord bates: Over 99.9% of HMT data is hosted in the United Kingdom.

Bank Services: Iran

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have proposals for improving banking arrangements between the UK and Iran, in order to overcome trading difficulties.

lord bates: The government remains committed to the full implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which includes ensuring that Iran gains tangible benefits from the sanctions relief agreed under the deal. HM Treasury officials are acutely aware of the reluctance of financial firms to support Iran-related activities and are continuing to work with UK banks and banking associations to understand their concerns and to identify practical approaches that will help facilitate trade with Iran.

Women and Equalities

Commonwealth: Discrimination

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assurances they have received from other Commonwealth countries that those governments will work to prevent persecution of individuals and groups; what assessment they have made of those assurances; how the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, agreed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, will be implemented; and over what period of time that implementation will take place.

baroness williams of trafford: We welcome the agreement by leaders at the recent Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting in London that the full social, economic and political participation of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status, is essential for democracy and sustainable development to thrive, as expressed in the official communique.​We also welcome Heads' commitments to continued action to prevent barriers to the development and full realisation of all ​girls’ and women’s human rights. They also committed to ratify and implement the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, through legislation, policies and programmes that mainstream and promote gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls in social, economic and political life​.​The UK will continue to support work towards a fairer, more inclusive Commonwealth during its period as Chair-in-Office, including through a programme working with civil society groups which will support countries wishing to reform outdated legislation on sexual orientation and gender identity, and on women's rights.